Stent and other object removal from a body

ABSTRACT

This disclosure contains methods, devices, and systems for object removal from a body, including removal of a stent from a body. Some methods of the present disclosure include inflating a balloon on a catheter, engaging a stent with a socket defined by a surface of the balloon, the surface inwardly sloped toward a lumen of the catheter, and retracting a portion of the stent through the socket and into the lumen. The present disclosure also includes methods for making a catheter, including forming a balloon, inverting a portion of the balloon, and attaching the balloon to a catheter such that a surface of the balloon defines a socket that is inwardly sloped toward a lumen of the catheter.

PRIORITY

This patent application claims priority to, and is a continuation of,U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0027520 having Ser. No. 11/190,797,originally titled STENT REMOVAL FROM A BODY, filed on Jul. 27, 2005,currently allowed, which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

In the field of medical devices, stents can be used to provide healthbenefits in human bodies. In some embodiments, a stent can beneficiallysupport anatomical structures in a human body. In some embodiments, astent can also contain and/or deliver beneficial substances to a humanbody, such as chemicals and/or drugs. A stent is a physical structure,which can form one or more passageways. In various embodiments, a stentcan be coated with one or more beneficial substances, such as activechemicals or drugs. A stent can be placed in various anatomical pathwaysin a human body, such as blood pathways, air pathways, and wastepathways. A stent can also be placed in various ducts or otheranatomical structures in a human body.

Although a stent is placed in a human body to provide health benefits,in some instances, a stent can cause undesirable effects on that bodyand/or prove to be inadequate to provide the health benefits intended.For example, a stent can fail to provide its intended health benefits tothe body in which it is placed. A physical structure of a stent, such asa strut, can malfunction, break, or fail. A beneficial coating on astent can exhaust or expire. A stent can be in an incorrect location ina human body. A stent can cause various harmful effects in the body inwhich it is placed. Thus, in some instances, it can be desirable toremove a stent that has been placed in a human body.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

None

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A-1D illustrates balloons suitable to implement embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2A-2B illustrates embodiments of the present disclosure suitable toremove objects from a body.

FIG. 3A-3C illustrates tools of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4A-4F illustrates embodiments of the present disclosure removing astent from an anatomical pathway.

FIGS. 5A-5B shows block diagrams of embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure provides methods, devices, and systems forremoving objects from inside a human body. In various embodiments of thepresent disclosure, a socket is deployed from a catheter, the socketbeing conically shaped and transitioning from an annularly shaped distallip of the balloon to a lumen of the catheter. In various embodiments ofthe present disclosure, an inflatable balloon is provided on a distalend of a catheter, a surface of the balloon defining a socket inwardlysloped toward a lumen of the catheter. Various embodiments of thepresent disclosure also include attachment and manipulation tools formoving an object through the socket and into the lumen of the catheter.Various embodiments of the present disclosure also include reducing adiameter of a stent while the stent is moved through the socket.

Stents, as they are known in the art, include metal and plasticstructures forming a single or multiple tubes. Various stents includematrices of thin wires woven, braided, or connected to define circularor elliptical tubes. Metal stents can be constructed of NiTi alloy oralloys of stainless steel, among other metals. Stents can also becovered with a polymeric material as disclosed by Goodwin, et al. (U.S.Pat. No. 6,808,533) or coated for purposes of containing and/or exudinga drug, as disclosed by Schaldach, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,998).

Placement of stents in blood pathways includes placement in arteries.Placement of stents in air pathways includes placement in tracheal andbronchial airways. Placement of stents in waste pathways includesplacement in the urethra. Stents can also be placed in various ducts andin locations to support surrounding anatomical systems and structures ordeliver drugs, among other things. However, placement of stents, as wellas other objects, in the body is not so limited.

Many circumstances can lead to a desire to remove a stent or anotherobject that has been placed within a body. Many circumstances can alsolead to a desire to remove biological material from a body. Stents,while being placed, or after placement, can cause undesirable effectsharmful to the body in which it is located. Such harmful effects can becaused by normal function, abnormal function, or malfunction of thestent and/or the delivery system or other part or device used within thebody. Stents can collapse inward, fail to deploy as intended, and strainand/or break anatomical structures. Moreover, a stent may prove to beinsufficient to adequately treat a problem that had instigated thedelivery of a stent. Furthermore, tissues surrounding the stent may beharmed by the presence of the stent. An immune system of a body mayattack a stent and its associated materials causing problems.

Balloons can be made from various polymers, as well as other materials.Polymeric balloons can be made from thermoplastic and/or thermosetmaterials. Many methods of balloon forming are known in the art. By wayof example and not by way of limitation, balloons can be made byextruding polymeric material into tube form, the tube including a lumen.An extruded tube can be placed in a mold, an inside surface of the molddefining a negative of the exterior of a balloon. The lumen of theballoon can be pressurized and the mold can be heated, the heattransferring to the tube. By combination of the pressure and heat, thetube can expand outwardly to the inside surface of the mold. The moldcan then be cooled, which in turn can cool the polymeric material. Avariety of balloon shapes can be made by this and other balloon makingprocesses. Additional balloon blowing tools and methods are hereinincorporated by reference, as described by Mahoney, et al. (U.S. Pat.No. 6,863,856).

FIG. 1A illustrates an embodiment of a balloon. The balloon 100 includesa first opening 101-1, defined by the end of a first tail 102-1. A tailof a balloon, as used herein, refers to a sectional length of a balloonon an end of the balloon. Balloons can include two tails. The balloon100 also includes a first seam 103-1, adjacent to a first transitionsection 104-1. An outer diameter of the first transition section 104-1can be approximately equal to the outer diameter of the first tail 102-1at the first seam 103-1. Between the first seam 103-1 and a second seam105-1 the outer diameter of the first transition section can changealong a sectional length of the balloon 100. In various embodiments, therespective outer surfaces of the first transition section 104-1 and thesecond transition section 108-1 can take the form of a cone, the conenot having a pointed end. In various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, different shapes are contemplated for transition sections104-1 and 108-1, including but not limited to sections of cones.Moreover, various embodiments of the present disclosure can include onlyone transition section.

The balloon 100 can include a middle section 106-1, located between asecond seam 105-1 and a third seam 107-1. The middle section 106-1 canhave an approximately constant outer diameter along its sectionallength, however, various embodiments of the present disclosure are notso limited. The balloon 100 can also include a second transition section108-1. The outer diameter of the second transition section can changebetween the third seam 107-1 and a fourth seam 109-1. The balloon canalso include a second tail 110-1, one end of which can define a secondopening 111-1.

The embodiment of a balloon in FIG. 1A illustrates a balloon 100 that issubstantially hollow. Balloons of different embodiments have variouswall thicknesses. Wall thicknesses can range from 0.001″ to 0.010″(0.0254 mm to 0.254 mm), but other wall thicknesses, including largerand smaller wall thickness than the dimensions given herein, aresuitable depending on various configurations, including but not limitedto the balloon material used. Moreover, in various embodiments of thepresent disclosure, the wall thickness of the balloon 100 can bedifferent for different parts of the balloon 100. Thus, some portions,such as third seam 107-1, can have a wall thickness smaller than thesecond transition section 108-1, which in some embodiments couldcorrespond to a flexible joint between the middle section 106-1 and thesecond transition section 108-1 and/or a reinforced second transitionsection 108-1 that is more resistant to tearing and/or punctures.Varying wall thickness in balloons can be accomplished by severalprocesses, including dual stage balloon blowing (blowing differentportions of the balloon at different times) and processing the materialbetween blowing cycles, and/or using an extruded tube with varying wallthicknesses (whether the tube is extruded with a varying wall thicknessor the extruded tube is necked after extrusion).

Reinforcement of balloon sections can also be accomplished by severalprocesses. One process includes adhering one or more additional layersto the balloon material. This can be accomplished after a balloon isblown, by adhering a layer to the balloon with an adhesive agent,solvent, applied heat to weld the two materials together, or anotherprocess known in the art. In various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, layers can be added to the balloon wall by placing theadditional layers within the balloon mold before the balloon is blown,such that the layers contact the balloon as the balloon is being blownand in the process attach to the balloon wall. Attachment in this waycan be accomplished by heat bonding between the two materials, the heatprovided by the heated mold in which the blowing balloon is placed. Areinforcement layer can be added to a part of or to an entire balloonsurface. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, areinforcement layer can be added to a portion of the second transitionsection 108-1, the first transition section 104-1, and/or the middlesection 106-1. A layer added to a balloon can be a layer of polymericmaterial, and/or metal. Moreover, struts, wires, bars, tubes, and otherparts can also be added to the balloon material and the various sectionsof a balloon in the same way that a layer is added, as discussed above.

FIG. 1B illustrates an embodiment of a partially inverted balloon. Thepartially inverted balloon 120 can be formed from balloon 100 of FIG. 1Aby inverting a portion of the balloon 100, but various processes formaking a partially inverted balloon 120 are not so limited. By way ofexample and not by way of limitation, a second opening 111-1 of theballoon 100 of FIG. 1A can be turned inward, as if to be turnedinside-out. This inversion can be continued to include the whole of thesecond tail 110-1, the fourth seam 109-1, and the second transitionsection 108-1, stopping at or before the third seam 107-1 of the balloon100 of FIG. 1A. By way of example and not by way of limitation, thesecond tail 110-1 of the balloon 100 can become the second tail 110-2 ofthe partially inverted balloon 120. Also, the second opening 111-1 ofthe balloon 100 can become the second opening 111-2 of the partiallyinverted balloon 120, which in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1Bopens to the inside of the inverted balloon 120.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure do not necessarily need apartially inverted balloon, or a balloon, to accomplish the same as apartially or wholly inverted balloon, such as partially inverted balloon120. For example, a balloon could be blown with a suitable shape notneeding inversion to accomplish the same as a partially invertedballoon. For example, a balloon can be blown which when mounted on acatheter includes a surface that defines a socket that is inwardlysloped toward a lumen of the catheter, the balloon not in an invertedconfiguration. Moreover, object and/or stent capture of the presentdisclosure can be accomplished without a balloon. For example, differentmaterials can be employed to create shapes suitable to reduce thediameter of a stent such that the stent can be removed from ananatomical passageway.

FIG. 1C illustrates an embodiment of a partially inverted balloon 135mounted on a catheter shaft 131-3. Balloons can be mounted on cathetershafts in various ways. For example, a partially inverted balloon, suchas the partially inverted balloon 120 of FIG. 1B, can be mounted on acatheter shaft 131. By way of example and not by way of limitation, thecatheter shaft-partially inverted balloon assembly 130 of FIG. 1C can bemade from the partially inverted balloon 120 of FIG. 1B by moving an endof a catheter shaft 131-3 through a first opening 101-2, through thefirst tail 102-2, and through the second opening 111-2. The end of thecatheter shaft 131-3 can be moved past the forth seam 109-2, however,some embodiments of the present disclosure locate the end of thecatheter shaft 131-3 between the second opening 111-2 and the forth seam109-2.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the balloon 135 caninclude a surface that defines a socket that is inwardly sloped towardthe catheter shaft 131-3, which can include a lumen. In variousembodiments of the present disclosure, this inwardly sloped surface cancorrespond to a first transition section 104-1 or a second transitionsection 110-1 of the balloon 100 illustrated in FIG. 1A if the balloon100 is partially inverted or processed. However, various embodiments ofthe present disclosure are not so limited.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a surface of theballoon 135 can define a funnel shaped cavity that transitions from anannularly shaped distal end of the balloon 135 to a lumen of a cathetershaft 131-3. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, thisfunnel shaped cavity defined by a surface can correspond to a firsttransition section 104-1 or a second transition section 110-1 of theballoon 100 illustrated in FIG. 1A if the balloon 100 is partiallyinverted or processed. However, various embodiments of the presentdisclosure are not so limited.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a surface of theballoon 135 can define a socket that is inwardly sloped toward a lumenof the catheter shaft 131-3. Furthermore, the surface defining thesocket can include a section where the surface is linear, orsubstantially linear, that is, linear except for imperfections in thematerial and/or slight bowing from under or over inflation. By way ofexample and not by way of limitation, a substantially linear section ofa surface can, in some embodiments, correspond to a first transitionsection 104-1 or a second transition section 110-1 of the balloon 100illustrated in FIG. 1A if the balloon 100 is partially inverted orsimilarly processed. Furthermore, the socket can be conically shaped. Asused herein, conically shaped refers to a shape that takes the form ofall or part of a cone. By way of example and not by way of limitation, asurface that defines a socket that is conically shaped can take the formof a cone, or the negative of a cone, but does not include the pointedtop. By way of example and not by way of limitation, a surface of aballoon can form a conical shape, including a socket, despite slightbowing in the sides due to under or over inflation and/or imperfectionsin the material.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the balloon 135 ofFIG. 1C can include a surface that defines a socket inwardly slopedtoward the catheter shaft 131-3 wherein the socket is conically shapedand the surface transitions from an annularly shaped lip 136-3 of theballoon 135 to an end of the catheter shaft 131-3. By way of example andnot by way of limitation, the surface defining the conically shapedsocket can, in some embodiments, correspond to the first transitionsection 104-1 or a second transition section 110-1 of the balloon 100illustrated in FIG. 1A if the balloon 100 is partially inverted orsimilarly processed.

FIG. 1D illustrates an embodiment of a balloon being inverted whilepartially on a catheter shaft. In various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the balloon of FIG. 1D can be the balloon 100 of FIG. 1A. Byway of example and not by way of limitation, an end of a catheter shaft141-4 can be moved through the second opening 111-4 and located betweenthe forth seam 109-4 and the second opening 111-4, the second opening111-4, and the forth seam 109-4 corresponding to the second opening111-1 and the forth seam 109-1 of FIG. 1A, however, the presentdisclosure is not so limited. Next, the second tail 110-4 can beattached to the catheter shaft.

Attachment can be accomplished by various methods, including applyingheat (generated by any source, including RF, and thermocouples) and/orpressure to the outer surface of the second tail 110-4. The second tail110-4 can also be attached to the catheter shaft 141-4 by any otheradhering means, including but not limited to, solvent bonding, adhesivebonding (including but not limited to use of epoxies and cyanoacrylates)and/or sonic welding.

Continuing with the non-limiting example presented in connection withFIG. 1D, once the second tail 110-4 is over the catheter shaft 141-4 theballoon material can be brought through the first opening 101-4 suchthat the first opening 101-4 and the first tail 102-4 are over thecatheter shaft 141-4. In various embodiments of the present disclosure,the result of the balloon inversion shown in FIG. 1D can be the same asthe result illustrated in FIG. 1C.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the inside of aballoon mounted on a catheter shaft can be isolated such that fluids andgasses between the balloon material and the catheter shaft cannotescape, nor can gasses or fluids outside of the volume between theballoon and the catheter shaft get within this volume once sealed,except by a valve and/or some inflation mechanism. By way of example andnot by way of limitation, a section of a catheter shaft over which aballoon will be placed can be cut to tap into a second lumen of thecatheter shaft, and this same lumen can be sealed on the distal end(such as by a heat seal or a plug of material), such that if gas and/orfluid was provided through the second lumen on the proximal end of thecatheter shaft, a balloon mounted on the catheter shaft would inflate.Balloon tails and other parts can be attached and/or adhered toaccomplish sealing, as discussed herein.

Balloons of the present disclosure can be made from a variety ofpolymers, polymer hybrids, as well as from other types of materials.Materials of various balloons of the present disclosure can have elasticor inelastic properties. Balloons can be made from compliant,semi-compliant, and/or non-compliant polymeric materials. In differentembodiments of the present disclosure, different advantages can besought by use of polymers with different properties. For example, somesemi-compliant and non-compliant balloons, as they are known in the art,can retain a rigid shape once inflated. In contrast, compliant balloonswill continue to increase in size the greater the pressure is producedwithin the balloon. In contrast, some semi-compliant and non-compliantballoons will take a shape once a certain pressure is provided, andgreater pressure will not cause the inflated balloon to change shapeother than slight bowing. This rigid shape can be useful because in someembodiments the rigidity of a semi-complaint or a non-compliant inflatedballoon can resist deflection when a force is applied to the balloon.Thus, in some embodiments, a balloon formed from semi-compliant ornon-compliant polymeric materials, mounted on a catheter shaft with acentral lumen, can include a surface that defines a funnel shaped socketthat is inwardly sloped toward the central lumen. By way of example andnot by way of limitation, an object moved through the funnel shapedsocket can apply force and torque to the balloon surface, but theballoon surface will not deflect and the structure defined by theinflated balloon will remain despite the applied force and torque,in-part because of the properties of the semi-complaint or non-compliantpolymeric balloon material.

Moreover, semi-compliant and non-compliant balloons can form shapes thatcompliant balloons cannot, especially fine features, sharp edges, finelips, and sharp ridges.

Polymeric material that can exhibit semi-compliant or non-compliantproperties in certain configurations include, but are not limited to,poly(ethylene terphthalate), polyamides, polyimide, polyphenylenesulfides, thermoplastic polyimide, polyesters, polycarbonates, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene and polyurethanes.

Semi-compliant and non-compliant balloon materials can be more brittlein some circumstances and in some circumstances harder to process ascompared to compliant balloon materials. This is due in part to theinelastic properties that some semi-compliant and non-compliantmaterials exhibit in certain configurations. However, several techniquescan be employed to allow semi-compliant and non-compliant materials tobe processed as compliant materials, including temporarily changing theelastic properties of the material. For example, semi-compliant andnon-compliant materials can be annealed before and/or after manipulationand processing. Also, the temperature at which semi-compliant andnon-compliant materials are processed and manipulated can be increasedand later lowered when the processing and manipulation is complete. Inaddition, the semi-compliant and non-compliant materials can be exposedto a diluted solvent, then processed and manipulated, then dried toremove the solution and the solvent. By these and other techniques thatare known in the art, semi-compliant and non-compliant materials can beprocessed and manipulated, including temporarily imparting elasticproperties to the materials, to take the desired form. Temporarily orpermanently changing the elastic properties of a material can be usefulfor several purposes, including but not limited to, moving a tail of aballoon onto and/or over a catheter shaft, or over another object,wherein the balloon is made from a non-compliant material and an innerdiameter of the balloon tail is smaller than an outer diameter of thecatheter shaft at a resting state.

Catheters, as they are known in art, can include elongated tubes madefrom various materials, including polymers and metals. Catheters canhave one or more lumens. Lumens, as they are known in the art, caninclude a passageway within a catheter that runs some distance of thecatheter, and in some cases can run the entire length of the catheter,having an opening on each end. However, a lumen can also be closed,sealed, plugged, and/or transitioned into another feature, and thus inthese ways, among other ways, lumens may not run the entire length of acatheter in all embodiments. Polymeric catheters, with one or morelumens, can be extruded, as is known in the art.

FIG. 2A illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2Ashows a medical device 200. In the medical device 200 of FIG. 2A, anuninflated balloon 203-1 is mounted on a distal end 202-1 of a cathetershaft 201-1. An access and control assembly 210-1 is attached to theproximal end of the catheter shaft 201-1. In various embodiments, theaccess and control assembly 210-1 can provide access to one or morelumens of the catheter shaft, including but not limited to a centrallumen and an inflation lumen. In various embodiments, the access andcontrol assembly 210-1 can also provide an interface for electrical andmechanical devices, accessories, peripherals, luers, signals, fluids,and tools. The embodiment of the access and control assembly 210-1illustrated includes a luer attachment 205-1 and conductor connection206-1, but various embodiments of the present disclosure are not solimited.

Also shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2A is an inflationcontrol device 211-1. The inflation control device 211-1 can be anymeans and/or mechanism known in the art for inflating balloons,providing fluids, and/or controlling pressure, including but not limitedto syringes, plungers, and pumps. In various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the inflation control device 211-1 can be in communicationwith an inflation lumen, the inflation lumen also in communication withthe uninflated balloon 203-1, such that fluids provided by the inflationcontrol device 211-1 can flow through the inflation lumen and into theuninflated balloon 203-1, however, various embodiments of the presentdisclosure are not so limited.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2A can be employed in various ways toremove objects, including natural and artificial objects, from a body.The medical device 200 illustrated in FIG. 2A could be used to removeobjects from various areas of the body, but is particularly suited toremove objects from anatomical passageways, including but limited topathways of the circulatory system, pathways of the respiratory system,and pathways of the digestive and gastrointestinal system. By way ofexample and not by way of limitation, the distal end 202-1 of themedical device 200 can be feed through an incision in a femoral arteryand run over a guide wire to a vasculature associated with the heart,such as a coronary artery. In this non-limiting example, the uninflatedballoon 203-1 can be located proximal to an object, such as a stent thathas previously been deployed in the coronary artery. The uninflatedballoon 203-1 can then be inflated by inflation means 211-1. However,various embodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited.

Embodiments of the present disclosure can be introduced into a body byvarious methods. By way of example and not be way of limitation, aportion of the medical device 200 can be inserted through the mouth toaccess objects in the throat, esophageal, trachea, bronchia, and stomachareas, as well as other areas of the body. In various embodiments of thepresent disclosure, a portion of the medical device 200 can beintroduced into the circulatory system of a body and navigated throughthe pathways therein. Thus, access can be gained to coronary artiesthrough a hole in the femoral artery, wherein the medical device 200 isrouted to the arteries of the heart. Introduction, navigation, and useof the medical device 200, as well as in other embodiments of thepresent disclosure, can be aided by use of an introducer. Embodiments ofthe present disclosure can also employ any methods and/or devices, asare known in the art, for introduction and use within the body.

FIG. 2B illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2Bshows an inflated medical device 250. The result of inflation isillustrated in FIG. 2B, as the inflated medical device 250. In variousembodiments of the present disclosure before, during, and/or afterinflation, tools, wires, scopes, fluids, and/or signals can beintroduced through, or accessed from, the access and control assembly210-1 and 210-2. By way of example and not by way of limitation, theaccess and control assembly 210-2 can provide access to a central lumenof a catheter shaft 201-2, the central lumen extending to the distal end202-2. Thus, tools can be routed through the access and control assembly210-2, through the catheter shaft 201-2, past the inflated balloon203-2, and through the distal end 202-2. A gasket or other sealing meanscan be provided in the access and control assembly 210-2, or at otherlocations of the medical device 200 and/or of the inflated medicaldevice 250, to prevent bodily fluids from escaping the body through theinflated medical device 250, while also allowing access for tools andother parts to the inside of the body. However, various embodiments ofthe present disclosure are not so limited.

Guide wires, known in the art, can assist in navigation and location inand through anatomical pathways. By way of example and not by way oflimitation, the medical device 200 can be routed over a guide wire byinserting the guide wire into a distal opening of the central lumen202-1 or into the access and control assembly 210-1. However, variousembodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited. Variousembodiments of the present disclosure can employ a deflecting tip and/ora shaft that can be turned and/or articulated to navigate throughanatomical pathways. Moreover, various embodiments of the presentdisclosure can also contain marker bands, antennas and/or radio opaquematerials, as well as other imaging and location tools known in the art,to assist with navigation and location. Also, MRI and other imaging andlocation systems can be used with various embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the inflated balloon203-2 can include a surface that defines a socket that is inwardlysloped toward a lumen of the catheter shaft 201-1. Furthermore, invarious embodiments, the socket can be conically shaped and the surfacecan transition from an annularly shaped distal lip of the balloon to alumen of the catheter shaft 201-1.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a surface of theballoon 203-2 can define a funnel shaped cavity that transitions from anannularly shaped distal end of the balloon 203-2 to a lumen of acatheter shaft 201-2.

FIG. 3A illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3Ashows an attachment tool 300-1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, theattachment tool 300-1 includes a shaft 310-1 having a lumen 311-1, thelumen 311-1 accommodating a rod 317-1. By way of example and not by wayof limitation, the rod 317-1 is attached to a plunger 312-1 and a head320-1. The shaft 310-1 also includes a proximal end of the shaft 314-1.By way of example and not by way of limitation, arms 321-1 and 322-1 canbe attached to the shaft 310-1. The embodiment of FIG. 3A also shows aspring 313-1 on the attachment tool 300-1. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 3A, the rod 317-1 runs through the center of the spring 313-1.Depending on the properties of the spring 313-1, the spring 313-1 canapply force to both the proximal end of the shaft 314-1 and the plunger312-1. Thus, in various embodiments of the present disclosure,increasing the distance between the proximal end of the shaft 314-1 andthe plunger 312-1 can cause the head 320-1 to push the arms 321-1 and322-1 outward, in a deployed position.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, attachment tool 300-1can include any number of arms, such as arms 321-1 and 322-1. Althoughtwo arms are illustrated in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, variousembodiments can include four, six, or any number of arms. Arms can beconfigured in various ways. For example, an attachment tool with fourarms can have the four arms arranged ninety degrees apart, each attachedto the distal end of the shaft 310-1. However, various attachment toolsof the present disclosure are not so limited.

FIG. 3B illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3Bshows an attachment tool 300-2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, thedistance between a distal end of the shaft 314-2 and a plunger 312-2 hasbeen reduced relative to the embodiment of the attachment tool 300-1illustrated in FIG. 3A. Thus, a head 320-2 has moved away from thedistal end of the shaft 318-2, relieving pressure on the arms 321-2 and322-2, allowing the arms 321-2 and 322-2 to straighten in a undeployedconfiguration. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, in anundeployed configuration, a profile of the distal end of the attachmenttool 300-2 is reduced, allowing the attachment tool 300-2 to fit andnavigate through smaller spaces, such as a lumen of a catheter, ascompared to an attachment tool 300-1 in a deployed position. However,various attachment tools of the present disclosure are not so limited.

FIG. 3C illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3Cshows a view of arm 321-3, and in some embodiments can resembleattachment arm 321-2 or 321-1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, theshaft 323-3 of arm 321-3 is connected to a hook 324-3. In variousembodiments of the present disclosure, the hook 324-3 can accommodate,catch, latch onto, or hook a strut or a part of a stent, or a part of anobject.

Various ends of arms 321-2 and 322-2 are contemplated in the presentdisclosure, and are not limited to the hook 324-3 as shown in 3C. Invarious embodiments, any method or means includes but is not limited tohooking, grasping, latching, catching, attaching and clasping onto anobject. For example, the hook 324-3 can be replaced with an articulatedclasp. In various embodiments, an arm of an attachment tool can includean adhesive to attach to an object. In various embodiments, anattachment tool can thread material, such as nylon, such that thematerial attaches to a stent or some other object. In variousembodiments, a magnetic tool can also act on an object and/or a stent.However, various embodiments of the present disclosure are not solimited.

FIG. 4A illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure in acut-away view. FIG. 4A shows a distal end of a stent capture device400-1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, the distal end of the stentcapture device 400-1 has been located proximal to a stent 450-1, boththe distal end of the stent capture device 400-1 and the stent 450-1 arelocated within arterial walls 471-1 and 472-1. A balloon 410-1, attachedto a shaft 403-1, is shown as inflated. An inflation lumen, not shown,can be located within the walls of a shaft 403-1 to provide fluids toinflate the balloon 410-1. In various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the distal end of the stent capture device 400-1 can benavigated to a location proximal to a stent 450-1 with an uninflatedballoon, then when positioned, the balloon can be inflated. Balloons canbe inflated to various diameters in different embodiments of the presentdisclosure. For example, an outer surface of the balloon 410-1 can beinflated to an outer diameter that is larger than an inner diameter ofthe arterial walls 471-1 and 472-1 before the inflation of the balloon410-1. The outer diameter of an inflated balloon being larger than theinner diameter of arterial walls, thus increasing the inner diameter ofthe arterial walls, can serve multiple purposes, including but notlimited to anchoring and/or stabilizing the distal end of the stentcapture device 400-1 and/or loosening the stent 450-1 from the arterialswalls 471-1 and 472-1. In various embodiments of the present disclosure,the balloon 410-1 is made from non-compliant polymeric materials.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a balloon 410-1 caninclude a surface that defines a socket that is inwardly sloped toward acentral lumen 420-1. This surface can be, in various embodiments, thesurface of the balloon 410-1 between an annularly shaped lip 490-1, or aplane formed by the annularly shaped lip 490-1, and a distal opening411-1 of the central lumen 420-1, or a plane formed by the distalopening 411-1 of the central lumen 420-1. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 4A, the surface of the balloon 410-1 is linear between theannularly shaped lip 490-1 and the distal opening 411-1 of the centrallumen 420-1, however, various embodiments of the present disclosure arenot so limited. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, thisinwardly sloped surface can correspond to the first transition section104-1 or a second transition section 110-1 of the balloon 100illustrated in FIG. 1A if the balloon 100 is partially inverted orprocessed.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a balloon 410-1 caninclude a surface that defines a socket that is inwardly sloped toward acentral lumen 420-1. This surface can be, in various embodiments, thesurface of the balloon 410-1 between an annularly shaped lip 490-1, or aplane formed by the annularly shaped lip 490-1, and a distal opening411-1 of the central lumen 420-1, or a plane formed by the distalopening 411-1 of the central lumen 420-1. In various embodiments of thepresent disclosure, this socket can be conically shaped between theannularly shaped lip 490-1 and the distal opening 411-1 of the centrallumen 420-1, or the respective planes formed by each.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, various parts andsockets can have specific and/or relative dimensions. By way of exampleand not by way of limitation, the distance between a distal opening411-1 of the central lumen 420-1 and an annularly shaped lip 490-1, orthe distance between the corresponding planes formed by each, can begreater than or less than other dimensions of the stent capture device400-1, including but not limited to an outer diameter of the balloon410-1 when the balloon 410-1 is inflated, an inner diameter of thecentral lumen 420-1, an outer diameter of the shaft 403-1, a length of asurface of the balloon 410-1 when inflated, or a distance between tailsof the balloon 410-1. Other dimensions identified herein, as well asdimensions not identified, can include relative dimension requirementswith respect to each other, such as a requirement that a diameter of anannularly shaped lip 490-1 of the balloon 410-1 when inflated be threetimes greater than an outer diameter of the shaft 403-1. However,various embodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited.

As shown in FIG. 4A, a balloon tail 491-1 of balloon 410-1 is contactinga surface of the shaft 403-1. The tail 491-1, as well as other parts ofthe balloon 410-1, can be attached to the shaft 403-1 by thermal weld,adhesive, solvent, and/or pressure, among others. The tail 491-1 canalternatively be attached to an inside surface of the central lumen420-1. The balloon 410-1 and/or the shaft 403-1 can be shaped,processed, or modified to make a smooth surface transition from theballoon 410-1 to the shaft 403-1, including adding material and/oradding a fillet. Thus, in various embodiments, a seamless transition canbe experienced by an object, such as a stent, moving through a socketformed by an inwardly sloped surface of the balloon 410-1 and into thecentral lumen 420-1.

FIG. 4B illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure in acut-away view. FIG. 4B shows a distal end of a stent capture device400-2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, continuing from thenon-limiting example presented in relation to FIG. 4A, an attachmenttool 430-2 can been introduced, and routed through a central lumen 420-2and a distal opening 411-2 of a shaft 403-2. The attachment tool 430-2can be deployed and arms 431-2 and 432-2 can each hook stent struts451-2 and 452-2, respectively. The attachment tool illustrated in FIG.4B can include embodiments of the attachment tools illustrated in FIGS.3A-3C, however, various embodiments of the present disclosure are not solimited. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, differentattachment means can attach to a stent and/or other objects in differentmodes. By way of example and not by way of limitation, in the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 4B, the arms 431-2 and 432-2 of the attachment tool430-2 can be moved between the stent 450-2 and the arterial walls 471-2and 472-2 by first deploying the arms 431-2 and 432-2, pushing theattachment tool 430-2 in the distal direction, and then pulling theattachment tool 430-2 in the proximal direction such that the hooks setin struts of the stent 450-2 from the outside of the stent. In variousembodiments of the present disclosure, articulating clasping means canbe provided on the ends of arms 431-2 and 432-2 and can attach to struts451-2 and 452-2 without dragging over the stent 450-2, or hooksorientated in a different way could be dragged along a inside surface455-2 of the stent 450-2 to set in stent struts 451-2 and 452-2 from theinside of the stent, as opposed to dragging along a outside surface456-2 of the stent, as explained above. These and other means andmechanisms are contemplated in the present disclosure for controllingand/or moving a stent, however, various embodiments of the presentdisclosure are not so limited.

The central lumen 420-2 of the stent capture device 400-2 can servemultiple functions, including accommodating scopes, signal conductors,guide wires, tools, attachment tools, navigation tools, imaging tools,and nets, among other things. Moreover, the central lumen 420-2 canaccommodate captured objects and tissues. For example, stents can bedrawn into the central lumen 420-2 for removal from the body. Also, thecentral lumen 420-2 can allow fluid flow within the shaft 403-2,including bodily fluids such as blood, which can be particularly usefulfor allowing blood to flow through an anatomical pathway even when aballoon is deployed in the pathway. This can be aided by porting in theshaft 403-2. However, various embodiments of the present disclosure arenot so limited.

FIG. 4C illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure in acut-away view. FIG. 4C shows a distal end of a stent capture device400-3. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4C, continuing from thenon-limiting example presented in relation to FIG. 4B, the distancebetween the stent 450-3 and distal end of stent capture device 400-3 canbeen closed, by either advancing the distal end of stent capture device400-3 toward the stent 450-3 or by pulling the stent 450-3 toward andinto the distal end of stent capture device 400-3 with the attachmenttool 430-3, or by a combination of the two, such that the stent 450-3 isdrawn into a socket defined by a surface of the balloon 410-3. Asillustrated in FIG. 4C, the outer diameter of the stent 450-3 canreduced as the stent 450-3 is moved along a surface of the balloon410-3. Thus, an outer profile, such as the outer diameter of a stent,can be reduced by moving the stent along a surface, the surface defininga socket inwardly sloped. Thus, the stent 450-3 can be reduced indiameter by moving the stent 450-3 through a socket defined by a surfaceof the balloon 410-3 causing relative movement between the stent and thesocket. However, various embodiments of the present disclosure are notso limited.

This reduction in diameter can happen in a controlled way or in anon-controlled fashion. By way of example and not by way of limitation,the struts of the stent 450-3 can compact uniformly, or the struts ofstent 450-3 can compact in a non-uniform manner. Moreover, the stent450-3 can collapse inward, where the stent 450-3 no longer resembles acircle or has outer curved surfaces. Furthermore, the stent 450-3 caneven break, including but not limited to strut fracture, bending,unbraiding and/or unweaving. In any case, any reduction in any profileand/or dimension of the stent 450-3 is contemplated in the presentdisclosure, including breaking of the stent 450-3.

FIG. 4D illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure in acut-away view. FIG. 4D shows a distal end of a stent capture device400-4. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4D, continuing from thenon-limiting example presented in relation to FIG. 4C, a stent 450-4 canbe drawn into a central lumen 420-4 of the stent capture device 400-4.By way of example and not by way of limitation, the stent 450-4 can bepulled further into the stent capture device 400-4 by attachment tool430-4. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the stent 450-4can be reduced in diameter by moving the stent 450-4 through a socketdefined by a surface of the balloon 410-4. By way of example and not byway of limitation, the central lumen 420-4 can be defined by an innersurface 440-4 of the catheter shaft 403-4. In various embodiments, thecentral lumen 420-4 can include a consistent inner diameter along itslength, or its inner diameter can change along its length. Moreover, invarious embodiments, the central lumen 420-4 can contain coatings ormaterials different from materials of the shaft 403-4.

FIG. 4E illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure in acut-away view. FIG. 4E shows a distal end of a stent capture device400-5. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4E, continuing from thenon-limiting example presented in relation to FIG. 4D, a stent 450-5 canbe contained within the central lumen 420-5 of the stent capture device400-5. In various embodiments, once the balloon 410-5 is deflated, butnot necessarily limited to a deflated condition, the stent 450-5 can beremoved from a body by removing the stent capture device 400-5.

FIG. 4F illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure in acut-away view. FIG. 4F shows a distal end of a stent capture device400-6. In the embodiment shown if FIG. 4F, continuing from thenon-limiting example presented in relation to FIG. 4E, the balloon 410-6is partially deflated. In various embodiments, the stent capture device400-6 can have a smaller profile, including a smaller outer diameter,after the balloon 410-6 has been deflated. However, various embodimentsof the present disclosure are not so limited. In various embodiments ofthe present disclosure, a sheath on the shaft 403-6 can be slid over theballoon 410-6, which can reduce the profile of the balloon 410-6 and/orinsulate the balloon 410-6.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4E, the outer diameter of the inflatedballoon 410 is greater than the outer diameter of the shaft 403. In someembodiments of the present disclosure, this can allow a stent capturedevice 400 to navigate through pathways that are narrower than theballoon 410 when inflated. Also, in various embodiments, once a balloon410 is inflated, a stent capture device can capture a stent 450 that islarger in diameter than the shaft 403 by moving the stent 450 into thecentral lumen 420-5, even though the stent 450 had a larger outerprofile than the inner diameter of the central lumen 420-5, asillustrated in FIGS. 4A-4E. Moreover, in various embodiments, once thestent 450 has been partially or wholly contained within the stentcapture device 400, the balloon 410 can be deflated and the stentcapture device 400 and the stent 450 can be removed from the anatomicalpathway. By way of example and not by way of limitation, in deflating aballoon 410, a profile of a stent capture device 400 can be decreased,allowing the stent capture device 400 to be withdrawn easily and removedfrom the body. However, various embodiments of the present disclosureare not so limited.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, components can becoated or treated to change the properties of the components. Forexample, a surface of a balloon can be coated to provide hydrophilic orhydrophobic properties. Also, components, such as a balloon, can becoated to alter the coefficient of friction between the surface of theballoon and another material. Also, components can be coated and/orprocessed to change the lubriciousness of the components.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a port can be made ina catheter shaft, the port allowing fluid to flow from the outside ofthe catheter shaft, through the port and into a lumen of the catheter.Referring to FIG. 4B, a port can be made in the shaft 403-2, proximal tothe balloon 410-2, for example. Thus, in this embodiment, fluid, such asblood, can flow from the proximal side of the balloon 410-2, into thecentral lumen 420-2, and through the distal opening 411-2 of the centrallumen 420-2. In this configuration, blood, and/or other fluids, can flowin the anatomical passageway even when the balloon 410-2 is inflated.However, various embodiments of the present disclosure are not solimited.

Embodiments of the present disclosure can also include use of a sheathover a catheter shaft and over deployable components, including anuninflated balloon. In various embodiments, a sheath slid over a ballooncan reduce the profile of a balloon, force fluid out of the balloon, andinsulate the balloon, among other things.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure include attaching aballoon tail to the inside of a lumen of a catheter, and thus attachmentof balloons is not limited to outer surfaces of a catheter or cathetershaft. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a smoothertransition between a catheter lumen and a surface of an inflated balloondefining a socket inwardly sloped toward the lumen can be formed, ascompared to various embodiments where balloon tails are only attached tothe outer surfaces of a catheter shaft.

Different embodiments of the present disclosure can include a deployablereceiving socket. A deployable receiving socket can include a balloon,but the present disclosure is not so limited. For example, thedeployable receiving socket can include metal or polymer arms, each armconnected by mesh or other flexible material configuration and theproximal end of each arm can be attached to a catheter, the catheterincluding a lumen. The mesh could be made from metal or polymers, andthe flexible material can include but is not limited to a polymer sheet.By way of example and not by way of limitation, in an undeployedposition, the polymer layer and/or mesh can be folded under and/orin-between the arms. In various embodiments, when in a deployedposition, the arms can hinge at their proximal ends while the distal endof each arm projects outward, unfolding the mesh or polymer sheetbetween the arms and forming a receiving socket that is sloped inwardlytowards a lumen of the catheter.

In each of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4F, the balloon 410can be made and formed from different materials and by differentmethods. In various embodiments, the balloon 410 can be a polymericmaterial, and/or multiple polymeric materials. By way of example and notby way of limitation, the balloon 410 can be made from a non-compliantpolymeric material. By way of example and not by way of limitation, theballoon 410 can be made from a semi-compliant polymeric material. By wayof example and not by way of limitation, the balloon 410 can be madefrom a compliant polymeric material. However, the present disclosure isnot so limited.

The shape and configuration of the balloon 410 illustrated in each ofFIGS. 4A-4E does not demonstrate all shapes and configurationscontemplated within the present disclosure. For example, a surface ofthe balloon could define a socket that has a curved shape. By way ofexample and not by way of limitation, a balloon on a catheter shaft caninclude a surface that defines a socket with a curved shape inwardlysloped toward a lumen, wherein the curved shape resembles a powerfunction, i.e. y=x2. Other shapes are also contemplated within thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 5A shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 5A is a block diagram representing a method forcapturing a stent. In block 510, the method includes inflating a balloonon a catheter. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, theballoon can be attached to a distal end of the catheter. The cathetercan also be introduced into an anatomical passageway of a body, such asan artery. The balloon can also be located proximal to an object in thebody, including natural and/or artificial objects, such as a stent. Aballoon inflated in connection with the method of block 510 can includean embodiment of a balloon from FIGS. 1A-1D, among others. In inflatingthe balloon, a surface of the balloon can define a socket that isinwardly sloped toward a lumen of the catheter. Inflating the ballooncan also expand the inner diameter of the anatomical passageway by anouter surface of the balloon contacting the inner walls of theanatomical passageway. However, various embodiments of the presentdisclosure are not so limited.

In block 520, the method includes engaging a stent with a socket definedby a surface of the balloon, the surface inwardly sloped toward a lumenof the catheter. In various embodiments of the present disclosure,engaging a stent with a socket can include pulling the stent toward theinflated balloon and into the socket defined by a surface of theballoon. Engaging the stent with the socket of the balloon can includepulling the stent toward the socket with a tool, such as an attachmenttool. However, various embodiments of the present disclosure are not solimited.

In block 530, the method includes retracting a portion of the stentthrough the socket and into the lumen. In various embodiments of thepresent disclosure, retracting a portion of the stent through the socketcan include reducing a profile of the stent as the stent is movedthrough the socket defined by a surface of the balloon. In variousembodiments, the stent can be retracted through the socket and into thelumen by using an attachment tool, such as the embodiments shown inFIGS. 3A-3C. However, various embodiments of the present disclosure arenot so limited.

FIG. 5B shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 5B is a block diagram representing a method for makinga catheter. In block 550, the method includes forming a balloon. Forminga balloon can include blow molding a balloon, however the presentdisclosure is not so limited.

In block 560, the method includes inverting a portion of the balloon. Invarious embodiments, inverting can include turning a portion of theballoon inside-out, such that a surface of the balloon that was anoutside surface of the balloon becomes an outside surface. Embodimentsof balloons, before and after inversion, are shown in FIGS. 1A-1D,however, various embodiments of the present disclosure are not solimited. Inversion of a portion of the balloon can be done before theballoon is placed on the catheter, and/or after a portion of theballoon, such as a tail section, has been attached or placed on acatheter shaft. However, the present disclosure is not so limited.

In block 570, the method includes attaching the balloon to a cathetersuch that a surface of the balloon defines a socket that is inwardlysloped toward a lumen of the catheter. The inwardly sloped socket, asdiscussed herein, can include configuring the balloon such that thesocket is conically shaped and the surface transitions from an annularlyshaped distal lip of the balloon to a distal opening of the lumen.Attaching can include placing a tail of the balloon over the cathetershaft, and/or fusing one or more tails of the balloon to the catheter orcatheter shaft, such as by heat fusing, applying an adhesive agent,applying a solvent, or other means for attachment known in the art. Theballoon can be attached to the catheter such that a lumen of thecatheter defines a passageway that is continuous with the surface thatdefines the socket. However, various embodiments of the presentdisclosure are not so limited.

In various embodiments, the profile of the stent can include an outerdiameter of the stent. In various embodiments, a surface of the balloonthat defines the socket can transition into the lumen of the catheter.Thus, a stent can be drawn, partially or wholly, into the lumen of thecatheter. Once the stent is partially or wholly in the lumen, thecatheter and the stent within the lumen can be removed from the body.However, various embodiments of the present disclosure are not solimited.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it will be appreciated from this disclosure that any arrangementcalculated to achieve the same techniques can be substituted for thespecific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any andall adaptations or variations of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

It is to be understood that the above description has been made in anillustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combination of theabove embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically describedherein will be apparent upon reviewing the above description.

The scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure includesany other applications in which the above structures and methods areused. Therefore, the scope of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure should be determined with reference to the appended claims,along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims areentitled.

In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are groupedtogether in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining thedisclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted such thatthe embodiments of the present disclosure have to include more featuresthan are expressly recited in each claim.

1. A medical apparatus for capturing an object within a lumen, theobject having an outer profile larger than the inner diameter of thelumen, the apparatus comprising: a catheter shaft having a proximal end,a distal end, and a lumen having an inner diameter; a proximal control;a deployable inwardly sloped socket, the inwardly sloped socket distalof the lumen of the catheter shaft when deployed, the inwardly slopedsocket deployable by the control; and an attachment tool configured toattach to the object having the outer profile larger than the innerdiameter of the lumen and further configured to move at least a portionof the object through the inwardly sloped socket and into the lumen bymovement of the attachment tool within the lumen, wherein the inwardlysloped socket is configured to reduce the outer profile of the objectwhen the object is engaged with a surface of the inwardly sloped socketand as the at least the portion of the object is moved along the surfaceof the inwardly sloped socket and into the lumen by movement of theattachment tool within the lumen.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe surface of the inwardly sloped socket defines a funnel shaped cavitythat transitions from an annularly shaped distal end to the lumen. 3.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object is contained within thelumen of the catheter shaft, the entire outer profile of the objecthaving been reduced from being moved through the inwardly sloped socketand into the lumen by the attachment tool.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the object is a stent.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thecontrol causes pressurization to deploy the inwardly sloped socket. 6.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control is further configured toreduce an outer profile of the inwardly sloped socket.
 7. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the attachment tool comprises threading.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the attachment tool comprises a hook. 9.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inwardly sloped socket isconfigured to expand an inner diameter of an anatomical pathwayproximate the object by deployment of the inwardly sloped socket. 10.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface of the inwardly slopedsocket is curved when the inwardly sloped socket is deployed.
 11. Amethod for capturing an object with a catheter, comprising: deploying aninwardly sloped socket connected to a catheter shaft, the catheter shafthaving a distal end and a lumen, the lumen having an inner diameterprofile; engaging at least a portion of the inwardly sloped socket thatis distal of the catheter shaft with a portion of the object, theportion of the object having an outer profile that is larger than theinner diameter profile of the lumen; and funneling at least the portionof the object into the lumen by reducing the outer profile of theportion of the object by relative movement between the engaged portionsof the inwardly sloped socket and the object.
 12. The method of claim11, wherein the object is a stent in a human and the outer profile is anouter diameter of the portion of the stent.
 13. The method of claim 11,wherein the method further comprises: extending an attachment tooldistal of the catheter shaft; attaching the attachment tool to theobject; and retracting the portion of the object through the portion ofthe inwardly sloped socket to cause relative axial movement between theinwardly sloped socket and the portion of the object and reduce theouter profile of the portion of the object as the portion of the objectmoves along a surface of the inwardly sloped socket.
 14. The method ofclaim 11, wherein reduction of the profile of the portion of the objectby relative movement with the portion of the inwardly sloped socketallows the portion of the object to be withdrawn into the lumen withoutfurther reduction in the outer profile of the portion of the object. 15.The method of claim 11, wherein the inwardly sloped socket is adeployable funneling socket that is a curved inwardly sloping surface ina deployed configuration, the socket relatively smaller in innerdiameter proximally and larger in inner diameter distally, the socketdistal of the catheter shaft and transitioning into the lumen.
 16. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the inwardly sloped socket comprisesmultiple layers of polymeric material, including a reinforcement layer.17. The method of claim 11, wherein the inwardly sloped socket isdeployed by a proximal control through pressurization.
 18. The method ofclaim 11, wherein an inner diameter of an anatomical pathway proximatethe object is expanded by deployment of the inwardly sloped socket. 19.The method of claim 11, further comprising withdrawing the cathetershaft from an anatomical passageway, at least the portion of the stentcontained within the lumen as the catheter shaft is withdrawn.